Counting mechanism



G. H. JACKSON. COUNTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION man NOV. 5, 1911.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS G. H. JACKSON. COUNTING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5,1917.

N 2 M 7 won 4% m r H m M W A 0 M %2 Rm m G W a P wmvmsss fiWW A TTORIVEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J GRAHAM H. JACKSON, 0! NEXVARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL TOBACCO MACHINE 00., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COUNTING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GRAHAM H. J ACKSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, countyof Essex, Stateof New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Counting Mechanisms of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to counting mechanisms and has for its object to provide a simple construction whereby a count. is efficiently and automatically kept and whereby an alarm is sounded as soon as the count has reached a predetermined total. My invention also contemplates an arrangement which may be readily adjusted to accurately count different totals and to sound the alarm as soon as such different totals are reached. A further object of my invention is to construct the mechanism in such a manner that it will automatically reset itself to zero or to its initial position whatever it may be, as soon as the predetermined total has been reached. My invention will be fully described hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

For the purposes of illustration and description I have shown 'my invention operat-ively combined with a tobacco stripping and booking machine for counting the number of leaves in a book and for sounding the alarm as soon as the predetermined number has been reached. It is to'be distinctly understood that the chosen illustration is only an example of the many uses to which my invention may be successfully put and that said invention is adapted for use in many other ways either by itself or in combination with other mechanisms. In said drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation of my improved counting mechanism; Fig. 2 is a section thereof on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation looking from the opposite side'of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an elevation looking at right angles to Fig. 3; Fig. 5-is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the parts in different positions; Fig. .6 shows my improvement operatively combined with a tobacco stripping and booking machine; Fig. 7 is a face view of a toothed Wheel'forming part of my invention; Fig.8 is an edge View thereof, and Fig. 9 is a face view looking in the. opposite direction from Fig. 7

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 200,265.

As shown in the drawings the mechanism itself comprises a frame or support 10 of suitable form and construction provided with suitable means 11 whereby said mechanism may bersecured in operative position either by itself or in combination .witlia machine in which a count is to be maintained. The support- 10 is provided with a bearing 12 in which a cylindrical stem 13 is located and from which it projects in opposite direetions. said stem being normally secured against rotation, for instance by means of a set screw 14 and in the preferred form being provided with an actuating handle 13. At its inner end said stem, 13 terminates in a reduced neck 15 which extends into the recessed end of a short shaft 16 so as to form latented Apr.4, 1922.

a bearing for one end thereof; the other end of said shaft 16 is journalled in a bearing 17 forming part of an arm 18 secured to the support 10 in any suitable manner as by screws 19. The shaft 16 carries acounting member preferably in the form of'a toothed wheel 20 which in the illustrated example is spring-controlled. the spring '21 having its one end secured to said wheel at 22 and its other end fastened at 23 to the stem 13; in order to increase the eiiiciency of the structure a washer 2 1 or the like may be located between the spring 21 and the bearing 12. This counting member, or in the present instance the counting wheel 20 is advanced step by step by suitable mechanism and in this way in co-operation with suitable devices,v maintains acount. In the preferred arrangement the counting member 20 may be automatically reset to its initial position after a predetermined total has been reached as will be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the presentcase an actuating lever 25 is pivotally mounted upon said shaft 16 in close proximity to the wheel 20 and carries a pivotally mounted pawl 26 arranged to engage/the teeth of said wheel as will be more fully explained hereinafter, a spring 27 being provided for exerting a tension on said pawl 26 tending to press it toward the counting wheel 20. A stop pawl 28 is pivoted at 29 upon the support 10 and normally engages the teeth of the wheel 20 to prevent an unintentional return movement thereof, said stop pawl 28 being under the influence of a spring 30 for maintaining it in engagement the member 32 shown best in Fig. being loose upon said shaft and being formed Wlt-h a' curved slot 33 described about a centre corresponding to the centre of said shaft. A headed screw or the like 34 passes through said slot 33 and clamps, the outer portion of said member 32 to the support 10 with sufiicient pressure to frictionally hold sald member against a free movement about .the shaft; the screw 34in co-operation with the slot 33 also limits the movements of said member 32 in opposite directions, as will more fully appear hereinafter. The member 32 is formed with fl'anges 35 and 36 which are arranged to move the pawls 26 and 28 out of engagement with the teeth of the wheel 20 as the total is reached at which the counting member 20 is to be reset: to its initial position to be given a new count. The flange 35 in addition serves normally to provide a surface upon which the pawl 26 rides as the-lever 25 is actuated and whereby said pawl is permitted to engage the teeth of'said wheel only at the desired instant to advance the wheel 2O" to the extent intended. The member 32 is further provided with a third flange 37 which lies in the path of a. projection 38 carried by the wheel 20, which project-ion by engagement with said flange A 37 serves to operate the member 32, at the time it is desired to release the pawls 26 and 28 from the teeth of the wheel 20 for the purpose of pennitt-ing the counting wheel 20 to be reset to its initial position under the in fluence of the spring 21. The return movement of said wheel as it is reset is arrested at the proper point by means of a stud 20 carried by the wheel 20 and engaging a projecting portion of the frame or support 10. Theflange 37 of the member 32 is also in the path of a lug 20 located on the wheel 20; as the latter is reset and describesa rapid, ro-- tary, return. movement under the influence of the spring 21, this lug 20 contacts withor impacts against said flange 37 and restores the member 32 which is loose on the shaft 16 to its normal position, the force of the blow of the lug 20? upon the flange 37 being suflicient to overcome the friction exerted by the screw 34 upon the member 32, as will all be more fully described hereinafter.

In the preferred form the projection 38 is adjustably mounted upon the wheel 20 so that the engagement with the flange 37 may be varied thus making it possible to vary the point atwhich said pawls are released. The projection 38 may thus comprise a head in contact with one face of the. wheel 20 and having a screw threaded stem passing through a recess or slot 39 extending circumferentially of said wheel 20, a nut 40 being screwed upon the stem into contact with the in and returning it to this position.

opposite face of said wheel to secure the -pr0- jection in its adjusted position; it will be understood that the projection 38 and nut 40 are each of a dimension to bridge the recess or slot 39.

Thus the projection 38 in combination with the member 32 automatically brings about a resettin of the mechanism at the proper time. 11 order that the total at which the resetting operation will take place may be visibly indicated, the one face of the wheel 20 is provided with indications 41 which cooperate with. the projection 38, as will be readily apparent. That is if the projection is set opposite thenumeral eighty of the indications 41' it will indicate that the mechanism will count up; to and including eighty before said projection engages the flange 37;

if desired, the projection 38 may be pro- I vided with an indicating notch or mark 42 in order to facilitate the reading and adjustment of the mechanism.

For the purpose of visibly indicating the amount at any stage of the count, the oppos1te surface of the counting wheel 20 is provided with designations 43 co-operating with a fixed indicator 44 located at a convenient point upon the support 10 and having its pointed free end in close proximity'to the periphery of the wheel 20. In order that an attendant may be informed when a predetermined total has been reached without the necessity for watching the count, I have provlded an alarm, which in the illustrated example comprises a bell 45 suitably mounted upon the frame 10 and a hammer 46 carried by a collar 47 secured upon the shaft 16 by means of a set screw 48. In addition to its other functions, the collar 47 by engagement with the bearing 17 serves to prevent a movement of the shaft 16 in an axial direction.

In the normal condition of the mechanism, the actuating lever occupies the position shown in Fig. 1. a spring 49 being referably provided for maintaining sai lever The pawl 26v rests upon the flange 35 out of contact with the teeth of the wheel 20 which is held against a return movement under the influence of the spring 21 by the stop pawl 28; at the same time the counting wheel 20 occupies a position-with the zero ofthe designations 43 in registry with the indicator 44 as shown in Fig. 9. It will be assumed that the count in question is to consist of twenty units, or in other words from one to twenty inclusive, so that the projection 38 is adjusted in the slot 39 until the notch or the like 42 is in registry with which causes the pawl 26 to ride along the flange 35 and to finally drop therefrom into operative engagement with the teeth of the wheel 20. As the movement of the lever continues, the action of the pawl 26 will cause said wheel 20 to be advanced one step, after which said lever describes a return movement under the influence of its spring 49, thus moving the pawl 26 out of engagement with the teeth of the wheel 20 and back upon the flange 35. As the wheel 20 is advanced in the described manner, the stop pawl 28 simply rides over the teeth thereof and prevents a return movement of said wheel, as will be readily apparent. The step by step advancement of the wheel 20 is continued through the medium of the lever 25, until finally the projection 38 contacts with the flange 37 as shown in Fig. 5 and shifts the position. of the member 32. This shifting of said member from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown. in said Fig. 5 causes the flange 36 to ride beneath and lift the stop pawl 28 away from the teeth of the wheel 20, so that as the lever 25 begins its return movement and the pawl 26 is similarly lifted away from said teeth by the flange 35, the wheel 20 will be free from restraint.

As this hapdens, the spring 21 causes the wheel 20 to ilescribe a rapid re-, turn movement opposite to its direction of feed back to its initial position or until stopped by the engagement of the stud 20 with the support 10. At the same time the hammer 46 is carried along by the wheel in said return movement and impacts against the bell 45, thus sounding an alarm and notifying the attendant that the predetermined total of twenty has been reached. The rapid return movement of said wheel 20 also carries the lug 20 into contact with the flange 37 from the direction opposite to that from which said flange was engaged by the projection 38 during the; step by step forward feed of the wheel 20 by the lever 25 and pawl 26, the impact of said lug 20 upon said flange 37 from this opposite direction being sufficient to overcome the friction of the screw 34 and to return the member 32 to its normalposition shown in Fig. 1 in which the screw 34 is at the opposite end of the slot 33 from that illustrated in Fig. 5. As the wheel 29 is advanced step by step in the described manner, the number in the count which has been reached may For the purpose of giving an example as to how my improve-d mechanism may be utilized, I have shown it in combination with a tobacco stripping and booking machine of the kind shown in the patent to Deiler & Deiler, No. 985984.

In machines of the kind referred to, the booking drum 50 comprises two sections, each having a circumferential cutting member cooperating with a cutting device to retobacco leaves being booked upon the drum 50 and held thereon by belts 50 as is well known. \Vhen combined with such a machine, my improved mechanism, in addition to its other parts, is provided with a dog 51 pivotally mounted at 52 upon the free eiid of the lever 25 in such a manner, as to normally lie in the path of a projectioniio carried by the stripping and booking machine. \Vith this arrangement, the lever 25 is operated once during each revolution of said machine, and thus actuates the counting mechanism in the manner hereinbefore described. As it sometimes happens that the operator will intentionally or unintentionally bring about an operation of said machine without,

feeding a leaf thereto, itbecomes necessary to provide a means which insures an operation of the counting mechanism only when a leaf has actually been fed to" the machine.

For this purpose I have provided a shaft 54 journalled in bearings 5.) carried by or forming part of the support 10 which shaft carries a rod 56 which extends between the sections of the drum 50 into the path of the stripped stems as they pass out of the stripping and booking machine; the shaft 54 fur ther carries a second rod 57 which rests upon a pin 58 of the dog 51 and by its weight normallymaintains the latter out of the path of the drum projection Thus as long as the stripping and booking machine is operated without tobacco leaf the projection 53 willsimply pass the dog 51 without causing an operation of the lever 25. As soon, however, as the tobacco leaf is passed through the machine and stripped, the stem thereof willv engage the rod 56 and by ,rocking the projection 53 with the result that the lever 25 will: be operated and in turn will actuate the counting mechanism as previously del scribed.

My lmprovement 1S extremely simple in construction and arrangement and 18 of maximum efliciencyrin-operation. It may be used by itself or in combination with many different machines where a count is desired and in all cases is absolutely accurate and reliable.

Various changes in the specific form shown and-described may be made within move the stem, the separated sections of the the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim: 1

1. A counting mechanism comprising a support, a toothed counting wheel journalled on said support, an actuating lever, a pawl on said lever arranged to advance said counting wheel as said lever is actuated, a stop pawl on said support for preventing a return movement of said wheel, a member movably mounted on said support, a pair of flanges carried by said "member and adapted to lift said pawls out of engagement with said counting wheel, means on said wheel for operating said member to lift said pawls at the end of a count and a spring for resetting said wheel coincidentally with the disengagement of the pawls therefrom.

2. A counting mechanism comprising a support, a toothed counting wheel jour nalled on said support and provided with a circumferentially extending recess, an actu- 'ating lever, a pawl on said lever arranged to advance said counting wheel as said lever is actuated, a stop pawl on said support for preventing a return movement of said wheel, amember pivotally mounted upon the axis of said counting wheel, a pair of flanges carried by said member and adapted to respectively lift said pawls out of engagement with said wheel, a third flange on said member, a projection adjustably mounted in the. recess of said wheel and arranged to engage said third flange at the end of the count. for which the projection is set and thereby actuate said member to lift said pawls, a spring for resetting said wheel concidentally with the disengagement of the pawls therefrom, and a fixed lug on said wheel adapted to engage said third flange to restore said member to its initial position as said wheel is reset.

' ing through the machine.

4. The combination of a tobacco stripping.

and booking machine, a toothed counting wheel, journalled on said machine, an actuating lever, a. pawl on said lever arranged to advance said counting wheel as said level is actuated, a dog movably mounted on said lever, a projection carried by said machine and co-operating with s'aiddog to actuate said lever. and a pivoted member for nor-- mally maintaining said dog out of the path of said projection and actuated by the stripped stems to throw said dog into said path, whereby said counting wheel is ad vanced for each leaf inserted into the machine.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set,

my hand.

GRAHAM JACKSON. 

